Water craft



G.H.NQBBS WATER CRAFT Aug. 13, 1931.

Filed Sept. 3, 1930 lllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I 1IIIIIII|II\ ll 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'llllllllIHHHHHllllu mmllllllllllllll lmlll lllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllmlllllllllIIEJII Aug. 18, 1931. G. H. NOB BS WATER CRAFT Filed Sept. 3. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill-ll! lllllll \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\A Patented Aug. 18, 1931 GEORGE NOBBS, on CAMBRIDGE,- MASSACHUSETTS wArER CRAFT Applicationfiled September 3, 1930. Serial No. 479,476.-

My invention relates to improvements in water crafts and it has for its object to provide an inexpensive, strong and durable water craft which will be light and portable, and which may be used in connection with aquatic sports and amusements, as well as for utilitarian purposes.

To these ends I have provided a water craft comprising a keelson bar to the opposite sides of which are fastened the opposite ends of a pair of arcuate, outwardly b'owed, tubular floats Which preferably give to the structure an approximately streamline form, as viewedin plan, in addition to afiording lateral stability.

7 In one form of my invention the keelson bar is a vertically disposed plank of wood whose top may be constructed with a seat for a passenger, while the floats are sealed tubular air containers preferably made from pliable sheet material such as textile fabric, rubber, or the like, or a combination of those materials, the said keelson plank being provided with means by which the ends of the floats are clamped to the opposite sides thereof;

Other features of my'invention are hereinafter pointed out. I

In the accompanying drawings, 7

Figure 1 is a side elevationcof a water craft constructedinaccordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a detail, on larger scale, of the bow-portion of the keelson.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig; 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 44 of Figures 1 and 3.

The embodiment of my invention herein illustrated comprises a keelson bar 1 con-,

sisting. of a vertically disposed plank of woodwhose top and bottom side edges are parallel throughout the major portion of-the length thereof.

Near its middle the keelson 1 is provided at its top with a longitudinally disposed seat board2 provided upon its'bottorn side with a pair of transverse metal reinforcing bars 3 whose oppositeend portions are seate'd" upon, and fastened to, angle-irons 4 which in turn are" fastened to the opposite sides of the keelson l. p

Disposed at opposite sides ofthe'keeljson 1' are two airtight tubular floats 5 whose opposite end portionsare flattened andfix: edly" secured to the keelson 1' by means of a single pair of clamps 6and7. Eachof these clamps includes two vertically disposed a'pertured channel iron' bars 8 overlying the proximate ends of the two floats 5, and three bolts 9 which extend through the apertures of the bars 8 and also through; registering apertures (not shown) ovidedin the end portions of the adjacent portion of the keelson.

Each float 5 is encircled at its middle a beltl0,Figs. 1 and 4, that is fastened by means of a bolt 11 to the outer end offa bail-shaped bracket 12 made from a metal bar bent to shape and havingrits' opposite ends fastened, as by bolts or rivets 13, to the keelson 1. c

The brackets 12 hold" the tubular floats 5 bowed outwardly away from the keelson to a substantial degree and the'y' also serve to hold thetwo floats in the same horizontal plane with the k'eelson. Thus, the flhats give to the craft a desirable strearndine fbrinas' viewed in Fig. 3, and also a'fl'brd lateral stability when the craft is in the water.

Each float 5', as herein illustrated, cornprises an elastic rubber innertu'bej 14' disposed within a canvas tubular sheath 15 and before being incorporated in the water craft structure said float is straight so that after it" is incorporated insa'id' structure it is held in" a flexed, tension'ed andbow'ed' condition by the clamps 6 and? and the intermediate brackets 12, I

As indicated by dotted lines at the right hand end ofFig; 3, the, inner tubes 14 are made slightly shorter than thesheaths 15 and closed at their opposite ends. Also, each innertube 14" is equi ped with avalve fixture 16 extending through an aperture (not shown) provided in its sheath 15' to the e'xte'ri'or' of the latter where it is'accessible for use in filling the float" withair underprssure: These valve structure's'may floats and in the r Y be similar to those provided upon the inner tubes of pneumatic tires.

Near the bow of the craft the top marginal portion of the keelson 1 is made with a rectangular notch 17 Fig. 2, and fastened to the keelson at opposite sides of this notch are two small metal plates 18 which, together with the notch, provide a socket within which may be stepped a mast 19.

Near its base the mast 19 is provided with an eye-bolt 20 that is pivotally interlocked with a screw-eye 21 provided at the forward end of a boom 22. At its opposite end this boom is provided with another screweye 23. The two lower corners of a triangular sail 24 are fastened to the screweyes 21 and 23, while the upper corner of said sail is fastened to the upper end, (not shown) of the mast 19.

To the screw-eye 23 is fastened one end of a sheet-rope 25 whose opposite end may be held by the navigator of the craft or tied, as shown, to the upper portion of the keelson 1, the latter being provided near its top edge with a small hole 26 to receive said rope.

The front or how end of the keelson 15 formed with a hole 27 to permit a mooring rope to be tied thereto and a similar hole 28 may, if desired, be provided near the rear end of the keelson.

The brackets 12 not only rigidly connect the middle portions of the arctuate floats rigidly with the keelson, but they are also positioned relatively to the seat 2 so that they can serve as foot rests. It is a feature of the illustrated construction, however, that the floats 5 are bowed outwardly far enough to permit the legs of the navigator to hang downwardly into the water so that he can use them to steer the craft.

In practice. the keelson 1 may be made about eight feet long and equipped with floats 5 that are about seven inches in diameter. This will provide buoyancy sufficient to sustain the weight of over two hundred pounds free and clear of the water and, when used as a life-buoy, to keep afloat ten or twelve persons of average weight.

Preferably the bottom edge of the keelson is below the level of the bottoms of the floats 5 so as to shield the latter from the ground. Also, by constructing the keelson so that it extends a substantial distance beyond the ends of the floats at each end of the craft,

said floats will be held clear of the ground and shielded from injury when the craft is pulled into and out of the water with one end trailing on. the ground.

The above described water craft is both light and strong and is easily carried from one place to another by a person of ordinary strength. Also, while the device is particularly adapted for amusement and sport purposes, yet at the same time it may serve other purely utilitarian purposes.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A water craft of the character described comprising a longitudinally disposed rigid keelson bar; a pair of arcuate outwardly bowed tubular air container floats disposed upon opposite sides of said keelson bar directly opposite each other, said floats being made from flexible sheet material and having their opposite end portions flattened and fitted flatwise against the opposite sides of the end portions of said keelson bar throughout their widths, and clamps fastening said flattened end portions in position against the opposite sides of said keelson bar.

2. A water craft of the character described comprising a longitudinally disposed rigid keelson bar, a pair of arcuate outwardly bowed tubular air container floats disposed upon opposite sides of said keelson bar directly opposite each other, said floats being made from flexible sheet material and having their opposite end portions flattened and fitted flatwise against the opposite sides of the end portions of said. keelson bar throughout their widths, and means fastening said flattened end portions in position against the opposite sides of said keelson bar, said means including vertically disposed straight channel-iron clamping bars engaging said flattened end portions throughout their widths, and bolts extending through said clamping bars and said keelson bar.

3. A water craft of the character described constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein a passengers seat is provided on said keelson bar.

4. A water craft of the character described comprising a vertically disposed keelson plank; a pair of arcuate outwardly bowed .tubular floats disposed upon opposite sides of said keelson plank directly opposite each other, and clamps fastening the opposite ends of each float to said keelson adjacent but a substantial distance away from the bow and stern thereof, respectively.

5. A water craft of the character described having a keelson comprising a vertically disposed keelson plank made near its bow end and at its top edge with a notch adapt: ed to receive the lower end of a mast and including a pair of plates secured to said keelson plank at opposite sides of said notch thereby to hold said mast within the latter; a pair of arcuate outwardly bowed tubular air-tight floats disposed upon opposite sides of said keelson directly opposite each other, and means fastening the opposite ends of each float to said keelson plank adjacent the bow and stern thereof, respectively.

6. A water craft of the character described comprising a vertically disposed keelson posite each other,

plank, a pair of arcuate outwardly bowed tubular floats disposed upon opposite sides of said keelson directly opposite each other; means fastening the opposite ends of each float to said keelson adjacent the bow and stern thereof, respectively, and a pair of rigid arms extending outwardly perpendicul'arly from opposite sides of said keelson and having their outer ends connected with the intermediate portions of said floats, each of said floats being an air-tight container made from flexible sheet material including a non-elastic textile fabric and each being filled with air.

7. A water craft of the character described comprising a vertically disposed keelson plank of wood; a pair of arcuate outwardly bowed air-tight tubular floats disposed upon opposite sides of said keelson directly opeach of said floats being made from flexible sheet material including a non-elastic textile fabric and each of which is provided with a valve-controlled port through which it is filled with of each float to said keelson plank adjacent the bow and stern thereof, respectively, and a pair of rigid arms extending outwardly perpendicularly from opposite sides of said keelson plank and having their outer ends connected with the intermediate portions of said floats so as to hold said intermediate portions against movement relatively to said keelson plank.

Signed by me at Boston, Suffolk County,

' Massachusetts, this 25th day of August, 1930.

GEORGE H. N OBBS.

air under w ressure' means fastenin the o osite ends c P 

